Drug
Situation: Due to California's diverse culture
and unique geography, there are many issues that affect the
drug situation in California. Drugs such as cocaine, heroin,
methamphetamine, and marijuana are smuggled into the state
from Mexico; however, methamphetamine and marijuana are also
produced or cultivated in large quantities within the state.
San Diego remains a principal transshipment zone for a variety
of drugs - particularly cocaine, marijuana, and methamphetamine
- smuggled from Mexico. Most drug traffickers/organizations
that are encountered by investigators continue to be polydrug
traffickers rather than specializing in one type of drug.
Methamphetamine and marijuana continue to be the drugs of
choice in the San Diego and Imperial County area. Traffickers
are looking for alternate routes to smuggle narcotics into
the country since a great emphasis is still being placed on
screening people and vehicles upon entering the U.S. from
Mexico at San Ysidro, CA. There is an increase in narcotics
trafficking in the East County of San Diego, as well as in
Imperial County. Law enforcement agencies in the Imperial
Valley reported a steady increase in drug seizures compared
with last quarter. With security more relaxed since Sept.
11, 2001, drug traffickers appear to be returning to business
as usual. Calexico's West Port of Entry, located in downtown
Calexico, experienced the greatest number of drug seizures
of the three border crossing points in Imperial County. This
increase coincides with greater air smuggling activity observed
along the Southwest Border.

Cocaine:
Mexican trafficking organizations dominate the wholesale cocaine
trade, smuggling from Mexico into the United States. Cocaine
is readily available throughout the state with Los Angeles
being the nation's largest cocaine transshipment and distribution
center. Typically, traffickers transport the cocaine to Los
Angeles in vehicles with hidden compartments and then offload
the cocaine into stash houses. The cocaine is then distributed
in the Los Angeles metropolitan area or shipped to other communities
throughout the country. The majority of the cocaine destined
for the US continues to enter the country via land conveyance
through the Ports of Entry along the California/Mexico border.
In addition, substantial cocaine seizures by US Customs (BICE)
at the Ports of Entry serve as evidence that cocaine traffickers
continue to have confidence in the "shotgun" approach.
Narcotic Task Force Team 1 has noticed an increase in the
sale of powdered cocaine in the San Diego coastal communities
ranging from Mission Beach to Del Mar. The organization responsible
for providing the cocaine in these areas is from Veracruz,
Mexico.

Heroin:
: California-based law enforcement agencies primarily seize
Mexico black tar heroin. However, Southeast Asian, Southwest
Asian, and Colombian heroin seizures periodically occur throughout
the State. Mexican black tar heroin traffickers traditionally
smuggle five pounds or less of Mexican black tar heroin across
the border but law enforcement officials occasionally seize
larger shipments. The increased availability of high-purity
heroin that can be snorted allows a new, younger user population
to use heroin without a syringe and needle. Drug treatment
specialists stated that these new heroin users ingest large
quantities of heroin that quickly move them to addiction.
Law enforcement officials normally encounter ethnic West African
and Southeast Asian nationals in the distribution and transportation
of Asian heroin. California does not have any noticeable heroin
abuse within its Asian communities. Black tar heroin remains
the predominant type of heroin encountered in San Diego and
Imperial Counties. Heroin seized in San Diego and Imperial
Counties continues to be almost primarily Mexican black tar
heroin. Mexican brown powder heroin is encountered on a less
frequent basis. Heroin seems to be readily available in all
quantities, and the purity is relatively high (40 to 80 percent).
The heroin trade in San Diego and Imperial Counties continues
to be dominated by close-knit Mexican families and organizations.
Imperial County confidential sources report that Colombian
heroin is now available on the streets.

Methamphetamine:
Methamphetamine is the primary drug threat in California.
Mexican organizations dominate the production of high-quality
meth, while a secondary trafficking group, comprised predominantly
of Caucasians, operates small, unsophisticated laboratories.
Clandestine laboratory seizures can be found in any location:
high-density residential neighborhoods, sparsely populated
rural areas, and remote desert locations. Over the past year,
Mexican national meth traffickers have moved their laboratories
to Northern California locations and Mexico to avoid increased
law enforcement pressure. Methamphetamine is the most commonly
abused drug in San Diego and Imperial Counties. The increase
in number of Mexico-based labs has created an increase in
the availability of methamphetamine in both San Diego and
Imperial Counties. In fact, the increase in frequency of methamphetamine
seizures at the US/Mexico border, and the decrease in the
size of the clandestine labs being seized in San Diego County,
seems to indicate that methamphetamine is being manufactured
primarily in Mexico. Media reports in Mexico concerning explosions
at methamphetamine labs in Tijuana and Ensenada, Mexico are
quite common. All San Diego enforcement groups have noted
that the purity levels of methamphetamine range from as low
as ten percent to as high as 100 percent. The White and Hispanic
communities are the predominant groups involved in the trafficking
of this drug. The average methamphetamine user is willing
to pay the higher price for high-quality "ice",
instead of purchasing the lower purity methamphetamine.

Club
Drugs:MDMA
(Ecstasy) is the most popular "club drug" with teens
and young adults in the state. Israeli organizations have
maintained their dominance of the wholesale importation and
distribution of MDMA, while a few other criminal organizations
are involved in the street level distribution of the drug.
Users may take Ecstasy in combination with marijuana, alcohol,
GHB, and methamphetamine to lengthen the effects of MDMA,
and to counteract the undesirable effects of other drugs.
LSD, Ketamine and GHB are also encountered in the rave scene.
The use of both heroin and "club drugs" has increased
among youth in San Diego County. In addition, investigators
are also encountering GHB/Ecstasy more frequently at clubs,
and among close knit groups such as the military and the homosexual
community. Ongoing investigations in San Diego indicate that
the availability of Ecstasy is increasing in San Diego County
from small to large quantities. There is an increase in the
manufacturing of Gamma Hydroxibutyrate (GHB), due to the relative
ease of obtaining the necessary precursors (GBL and sodium
hydroxide) and the availability of internet "recipes."

Prescription
Drugs:
Vicodin, Ritalin, Rohypnol, Ketamine, and Valium are commonly
diverted pharmaceutical narcotics. Many of these narcotics
are used by teens and young adults frequenting the club scene.
Rohypnol is available without a prescription at pharmacies
throughout Mexico. The Los Angeles area, specifically Compton,
California, is the primary source of PCP found in the United
States. Consequently, PCP remains readily available. Diverted
pharmaceutical drugs are readily available in the San Diego
area. Hydrocodone products including Vicodin, VicodinES, Lortab,
and Vicoprofen remain the diverted pharmaceutical drugs of
choice for retail diversion in San Diego. Illicit mail order
distribution operations in San Diego County continue to be
a popular method to distribute pharmaceuticals.

Marijuana:
Marijuana is the most widely available and abused illicit
drug in California. Large quantities of low-grade marijuana
are smuggled into the state from Mexico. Highly potent Canadian
marijuana, known as "BC bud" is also transported
into the state. Potent domestic marijuana is also cultivated
in sophisticated indoor, hydroponic gardens throughout the
state. Statewide, cultivation has increased since California's
voters passed Proposition 215, the Compassionate Use Act of
1996, removing state legal sanctions for marijuana used to
alleviate specific medical conditions with a doctor's recommendation.
Cannabis "clubs" or "cooperatives" have
established themselves as illegal distributors under the guise
of "caregivers." Marijuana, both domestic and imported,
is widely available in the San Diego area of responsibility,
and continues to be the most prevalent drug smuggled into
San Diego and Imperial Counties from Mexico. During this quarter,
Mexican federal police elements seized multi-ton quantities
of the drug in Baja California, Mexico. Enforcement Group
2 reports that marijuana, alcohol and methamphetamine are
used interchangeably by chemically dependent individuals.

Crack:
African-Americans in San Diego's inner city neighborhoods
are the populace most frequently involved in the distribution
of crack cocaine. However, the cocaine obtained to make the
"crack" is acquired from Mexican nationals. The
San Diego Mobile Enforcement Team ended its deployment in
Oceanside, CA, which targeted CRIPS and BLOODS street gang
members. These individuals were distributing crack cocaine
and methamphetamine in the Oceanside beach area, but resided
in Los Angeles, CA. This deployment resulted in a total purchase/seizure
of 548 grams of crack cocaine, 254 grams of cocaine hydrochloride,
1,100 grams of methamphetamine, 106 grams of marijuana, 29
grams of PCP, one Jennings J-22 semi-automatic handgun and
$37,174 in US currency. A total of 35 individuals were arrested.

Other
Drugs:
Vicodin, Ritalin, Rohypnol, Ketamine, and Valium are commonly
diverted pharmaceutical narcotics. Many of these narcotics
are used by teens and young adults frequenting the club scene.
Rohypnol is available without a prescription at pharmacies
throughout Mexico. The Los Angeles area, specifically Compton,
California, is the primary source for the majority of PCP
found in the United States. Consequently, PCP remains readily
available.

DEA
Mobile Enforcement Teams: This
cooperative program with state and local law enforcement counterparts
was conceived in 1995 in response to the overwhelming problem
of drug-related violent crime in towns and cities across the
nation. There have been 381 deployments completed resulting
in 15,731 arrests of violent drug criminals as of March 2003.
There are three DEA Division offices in California: Los Angeles,
San Diego, and San Francisco. Combined, these three divisions
have completed 58 Mobile Enforcement Team (MET) deployments
throughout the State of California since the inception of
the program. These cities are: San Luis Obispo (2), Oxnard/Ventura,
Gardena, Century, Rampart (2), Antelope Valley, El Monte,
Santa Maria, Quad Cities in Los Angeles, Coachella Valley,
Wilshire, Pico Rivera, Hawthorne, Inglewood, Santa Paula,
Hollenbeck, Devonshire, Ontario, Pasadena, Baldwin Park, Bell
Gardens, Garden Grove, Oceanside (2), El Cajon, Chula Vista,
National City (2), Vista, San Diego (2), La Mesa, Escondido,
San Marcos, Spring Valley, Richmond (2), Vallejo, Seaside
(2), Merced, Modesto, Oakland (2), West Contra Costa County,
Eastern Kern County, Yuba County, San Jose, Stanislaus County,
Woodland (2), Salinas, Santa Cruz (2), Monterey, and Sacramento.